A stage show Sunset Shimmer!
Cover picture by @whatdoidh@twitter.com

"Welcome one and all to Princess Sunset Shimmer's Mesmerizing Magical Menagerie!" Sunset paced back and forth across the stage. Basking in the applause she loved so much. A silk black top hat shone in the stage lights atop her head."I will be your entertainment this evening- and some of you will be mine." Sunset laughs- and makes a mental note of those in the audience that didn't. "Lucky for you, I'm sharing the spotlight tonight. That's right. When Princess Sunset takes the stage, it's her subjects that get to be the real stars."

A quick wave of her hand pulled a ruby-tipped magic wand from her suit pocket. Tailored just for the occasion, of course. Sunset couldn’t be seen in anything but the very best. Her polished high heels clicked against the wooden stage. Licks of flame swirled around her heel with every step. "And, for my first assistant, I pick… you!" Sunset thrusts her wand at a purple-haired bookworm trying to hide in the back. The tip shimmers for a brief instant. The spotlights snap to Princess Sunset’s first volunteer. "Come to the stage!"

Like most "volunteers", this one was nervous. It took some urging from her friends to get her on her way to the stage. "Give her a hand, folks! It’s not easy being first." The crowd cheered and applauded for Sunset’s very first victim. When she arrives on stage, Sunset puts the tip of the wand in her face. "So! Tell us about yourself!"

She stammered. She shook a few locks of purple hair from her face. The spotlights were so hot. Sweat dripped down her face. "M-my name is Twilight Sparkle. I’m a student here in town." Even with the wand amplifying her voice, Sunset has to take her by the chin and help her look at the crowd.

"Good to hear! And are you ready to be my first eager volunteer!"

Twilight noticed that wasn’t a question.

"You’re looking a little sweaty, Twilight dear. Are you okay? Maybe a little warm?"

Twilight nodded. She eyed the spotlights bearing down on her. She took a few deep breaths.

"It probably feels good to be nice and warm like this." Sunset’s hands rested on her volunteer’s shoulders. "You can just take nice, deep breaths and focus on how good it feels. How nice the lights are. How good my body feels pressed against yours."

Twilight took a big, shaky breath in. The warmth was nice. It soothed her muscles. The breath out was smoother.

"That’s in. Deep breath in."

Twilight breathed in. Smoother and more confident every time.

"And out."

She exhaled.

"Feel the warmth fill your body with every breath." Sunset could feel those cute little muscles loosening under her grip. Twilight breathed in, held it for a second, and breathed out. Each breath fed the rising warmth inside her body. Her muscles slowly drained of all their nervous tension. "I’m going to count backwards from five. With every number, I want you to breathe in, hold it, and breathe out, just like you’ve been doing." Twilight nodded. Maybe a little more lazily than she meant.

"Five. Deep breaths. Feel the warmth bubbling up inside you."

In. Hold. Out.

"Four. Good girl. Let it rise up to your mind."

In. Hold. Out.

"Three. Let the warmth melt your thoughts. They’re going to start slowing down for a while. You don’t need them. They’ll be back later."

In. Hold. Out.

"Two. Your thoughts are slowing to a crawl. You’re totally nice and warm. It feels good."

In. Hold. Out.

"One. Completely warm. Completely still. Completely mine."

In. Hold. Out.

"How do you feel, Twilight?" Sunset asked, watching the student sway where she stood.

"G-good." She struggled to put the words together.

"When I snap my fingers, you will be completely blank. You will be in a world with only my voice. There’s no outside world at all. Do you understand?"

Twilight was in mid-nod when Sunset snapped her fingers. She collapsed into Sunset’s arms. Her purple eyes half-lidded in the throes of trance. A strand of drool threatened to fall from her mouth. "Isn’t she great, ladies and gentlemen? Give her a hand! Not that she can hear it."

The crowd clapped and cheered. Silly Twilight couldn’t hear a thing, of course. She couldn’t hear anything unless Sunset said it. Everything else was in one ear and out the other.

"Twilight." Sunset’s voice! "When I snap my fingers, you will be my happy little cheerleader. You want nothing more than to cheer on Princess Sunset. You will remain in your trance, and will fall back into this state when I snap again. Do you understand?"

Twilight nodded. Sunset snapped. A pair of red and orange pom-poms hovered into her hands.

"Ready? Okay!" Twilight bounced to center stage. "Princess Sunny! She’s my honey! She’ll give a you a run for your money!" She clapped and tried her darndest to lift her leg above her head. Darn restrictive long skirt. "Princess! Princess! She’s the best! Everyone else is just less! GIve me a S! Give me a U! Give me a-" Snap! Her eyes lidded. Sunset caught the collapsing figure. The crowd cheered for Sunset and her eager little cheerleader.

"Did you have fun, dear?" Sunset’s warm, gloved hands prop up the student’s body. She tries her best to nod. "Good girl." She is, isn’t she? She was such a good girl. Nice and warm in Princess Sunset’s arms.

"I’m going to snap my fingers again, dear." Sunset’s hot, soothing voice whispered into Twilight’s eager ears. "And when I do, you’ll be yourself. Absolutely nothing will have changed." Sunset produces an "I ❤ Princess Sunset" T-shirt from her sleeve and drapes it over her subject’s head. Silly thing needed help getting her arms through the holes. "You’re wearing everything you did when you got dressed this morning. Nothing more, nothing less." A pair of red and orange bunny ears settle atop the student’s purple head of hair. "You haven’t even been hypnotized yet."

Twilight slowly nods her head. That earns her a ‘good girl’ and another Snap!

She stood up under her own power. Sunset produced a hand mirror and held it behind her back. "Good evening, Miss Twilight. How are you?"

"I’m fine, I guess. Shouldn’t you be trying to hypnotize me or something?" She looked curiously at the laughing crowd.

"I think I already have." Sunset offers Twilight the mirror. "Unless you put those ears on all by yourself."

"O-of course I did!" Twilight snatched the mirror from Sunset’s white gloved hand. "I never leave home without my Sunny bunny ears. Ask anyone!"

"Sorry, dear. How silly of me. And we’ve never met before?"

"Not before tonight." Twilight scoffed. "Obviously."

"So that shirt was always a regular part of your wardrobe?"

Twilight instinctively looked down at her chest, crossed her arms across it, and hoisted her nose into the air. "Obviously, it was a gift. I’ve never heard of your show in my life."

"Well, you must enjoy the gift. You decided to wear it in front of all these people." Sunset tugs the shirt down to show it to the laughing audience.

Twilight’s cheeks burned red. "W-well, you see, I-"

Snap!

Twilight’s body went limp again. The crowd’s cheering and laughter rolled off her mind. They weren’t for her. It was just her and Princess Sunny.

Sunset whispered into those eagerly listening ears. "I’m going to wake you up in a moment, and you’re going to keep two things in mind. You can remember that. You’re a smart girl. For now, at least~" She helped Twilight nod. Silly hypnotized girls like her needed help. Sunset peeled the bunny ears and shirt off her subject.

"From now on, whenever I touch your shoulder like this-" Sunset’s wonderfully warm palm sat on the slumped student’s shoulder. "-and whisper in your ear like this." Her hot, tingling breath fell on those eager ears. "My words will become your thoughts. You won’t notice anything odd about this. After all, they’re your own, original ideas."

"Yesh, Princess~" Twilight’s tongue falls limp in her mouth.

"Very good. Now, in a moment, I’m going to snap my fingers. When I do, you will be the hypnotist. Twilight the Magnificent." Sunset plucks the black silk top hat from her head and settles it atop Twilight’s. She wraps a flowing black cape around her shoulders. "And you’re about to pluck one of your friends from the audience. They’ll be the star of the show." Sunset presses a shiny gold pocket watch into Twilight’s palm. "And I will be your beautiful assistant, Sunny."

Twilight squares her shoulders and clutches the watch. She nods a little more firmly.

"Very good. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Twilight the Magnificent!"

Snap!

"Thank you for the introduction, Sunny." Twilight rewards her assistant with a kiss on the cheek. "You forgot something, though~" She picks the bunny ears off the ground and settles them on Sunny’s head.

"Of course, Miss Twilight. How could I have forgotten?" Sunny winks to the audience. Twilight the Magnificent only takes their laughter as encouragement.

Twilight the Magnificent makes a big show of looking out over the audience. "Now, where is my first volunteer?"

Sunny waves the spotlight onto Twilight's friends.

"You two!" Twilight, right on cue, waves a rainbow head of hair and some elegant violet curls on stage.

"You’re gonna go under first, Rarity." Rainbow playfully elbowed her friend in the ribs.

"Please, darling. Like I’d ever be embarrassed in front of all these people like that." She climbs on stage first. "No offense, Twilight."

Twilight "accidentally" flicks Rarity’s nose when she withdraws her shiny golden watch from her pocket. "Twilight the Magnificent will let that one go for now. After all, the show must go on!"

Rarity and Rainbow are set facing each other. Twilight’s watch dangles between them. Sunset’s hand landed on the magician’s shoulder.

"Just watch the watch, dears." Sunset said and Twilight repeated with perfect showman flair. Rainbow and Rarity watched it swing.

"Take deep breaths while I count down from five. When your gorgeous hypnotist reaches zero, you will be completely under her control." Twilight laughed to herself. The audience laughed along with Sunset.

"Five." All four girls counted off.

"Four." Rainbow was starting to slump a little bit. Rarity wiped a lick of drool from her face.

"Three." Rarity’s shoulders fell for the first time since coming on stage. Rainbow’s eyes went dull.

"Two." A long strand of drool threatened to stain the lace bra keeping Rarity’s breasts perky. Rainbow said it more like "tuh".

"One." It took all their energy just to stay watching the watch. They were such good girls.

"Zero. Very good." Sunset’s hand left Twilight’s shoulder.

"Tell me, dears. How do you feel?" Twilight took her friends by their chins.

Rainbow reported that she felt ‘awesome’, while Rarity clocked in at ‘wonderful, darling’.

"Very good. While my assistant fetches the princess dress and the maid dress-" Twilight waves Sunny away. "-you two are going to be absolutely certain I made you do something embarrassing in front of all these people. You’ll have no idea what it was, but you’ll remember that you loved it. When I snap my fingers again, you’ll fall right back into your lovely little trance. Understand?"

"Yes, Miss Twilight." Both girls echoed.

Snap!

Rarity’s face burned with the brilliant blush only a lady like her could muster. "Twilight!" She slapped the purple pony! "How could you make us do something like… like that?"

"Yeah, Twilight!" Rainbow chimed in. "How could you make us get up on stage and make us do that without even warning us first?"

"I agree, darling. What you did was absolutely… oh, what’s the word?"

"Awful?" Rainbow added.

"Unforgivable." Rarity nodded.

"Gross."

"Disgusting."

"Kinda fun."

"Enjoyable."

"Hot."

"Something I wouldn’t mind doing again."

"My deepest fantasy!"

"Dear, you must make us do it again!"

Snap!

"Weren’t they delightful, folks? Give them a hand." Twilight implored the crowd. Applause washed over both limp, mindless girls.

Sunset returned with a frilly pink princess dress. Poofy shoulders, more petticoats than you could count, cheap jewelry, heels that ran a size too small. The works. Twilight’s hand laid on Rainbow’s shoulder. "The person I’m touching right now will, when I snap my fingers, be a pretty, prissy princess." Sunset centered the long pink wig on her head. Bubblegum locks cascaded down to her athletic butt. "One who loves the color pink, being the girliest girl she can imagine, and her subjects. In that order. Today, dear, you will be punishing that naughty maid of yours." Twilight rubbed the fresh handprint on her cheek.

Rainbow nodded absentmindedly, managing a "Yes, Miss Twilight~ I’m a pretty princess~" while Sunny led her behind a screen to get changed.

"And you, dear Rarity." Twilight moved on. "Will be Princess Dash’s delightful little maid. Always eager to please, and completely unafraid to get a little dirty. After all, a maid’s purpose in life is to please her princess, nothing more. Cooking, cleaning, whatever she asks."

"Of course, Miss Twilight. I live to serve." The maid outfit fell into her hands. The black dress had only half as many petticoats as the princess dress (she was a servant, after all), but complete with a frilly white apron, white cap, uncomfortably high heels, and a cute pink feather duster. Twilight plopped a long black wig over Rarity’s head and sent her off to get changed.

"Good girls. I’ll have to reward you two later." Twilight gives both her pretty little girls a pat on the head. "For now, though, Mimi here has been a very naughty girl, and Princess Dashica cannot let that go unpunished." Twilight the Magnificent gives the maid a premature spank.

Snap!

The fingers, this time, were Sunset’s. Twilight the Magnificent’s eyes went dim. She slumped into her assistant’s warm, welcoming arms.

"A round of applause for Twilight the Magnificent and her eager volunteers!" The crowd went wild. None of the three heard it, of course. They were waiting for their Mistress to talk to them.

"You two-" The princess and the maid each get a warm, Sunny hand. "-can go sit down." The two shuffle back to their seats. Their eyes still dim and their bodies still in costume. Sunny turns her attention to the former hypnotist. "Twilight the Magnificent, however, is going to perform the most difficult trick in her book. She is going to hypnotize herself into a pretty little pony. She’ll find her watch irresistible. Her eyes will droop. And her silly little brain will go dim. She really needs someone to take care of her."

Snap!

"Thank you, thank you." Twilight the Magnificent bows. "For my final trick, I will perform a feat widely considered to be impossible. I’m going to hypnotize myself into a pretty little pony for everyone in the audience! Don’t try this at home~" She winks. She focuses her eyes on her swinging watch.

"It may not look like it, but I’m falling into a very deep trance. I’m a good girl. I’ll make a pretty pony." Her big, confident smile fades into a dumb grin.

"Five. I’m completely mes-mare-ized." She whinnies.

"Four. I’m going to be so cute." She giggles.

"Three. I don’t need to think." She dulls her eyes.

"Two. I have such a pretty mane and such cute hooves." Her hands curl into cute, useless fists. The watch clatters to the floor.

"One. Night night, Twilight~" She falls to all fours. Her cape cascades onto the floor. Her lovely assistant is ready with all the proper pony accessories. Sunny puts a pair of purple pony ears atop her pretty pony’s head. They poke through her hair, framing her black silk top hat. Sunset captures some of her purple hair in a long, tuggable ponytail.

The crowd goes wild. They cheer and applaud for the pretty pony. The black leather saddle falling on her caped back and the hoof gloves and boots only make the cheers louder. Twilight barely notices her new blonde tail. It’s what a pretty pony would have after all. The pony whinnies happily and kicks her new hooves in the air. Sunset bows, her fiery hair falling over her shoulders. She didn’t even need to hold her hat on this time!

"Now, if I recall, my little pony had a few friends who haven’t been on stage. Why don’t you show me, Twilie dear?" Sunset sat on her little pony’s saddle. The real hypnotist idly inspected her nails while her pony carried her down the aisle. Twilight flicked her tail at the princess, the maid, and the three girls who haven’t yet felt Princess Sunset’s touch. One trying her hardest to not look, one trying her hardest to look, and one rolling her eyes and checking the time.

Princess Sunset takes the seat next to the shy one. "Enjoying the show, dear?"

"Oh, uh, of course. I’m having a lot of fun staying here and not being hypnotized please don’t embarrass me!" Her voice gets higher and higher. She grabs for something to hide her face behind.

"Don’t worry about that, dear. After all, I wouldn’t hypnotize you like this."

"Y-you wouldn’t?"

"Of course not." Sunset’s manicured hand cups that lovely little chin. "We could sit here all day and talk and you wouldn’t be hypnotized."

"I wouldn’t?" She peeks out from behind her hands.

"You could find your eyes starting to droop, your jaw going slack, and your thoughts turning to how amazing I am. But you wouldn’t be hypnotized."

Her shoulders start to fall. "That’s good to know." She exhales.

"You might end up begging me to control your mind and twist you around my finger, but you wouldn’t be hypnotized."

"A-are you sure?" She tenses up again.

"Positive. Maybe you should tell me about yourself. Those words have been building up in you the whole time. They’re trying to pour out of your mouth right now. You can’t keep it in any longer!" Snap!

"My name is Fluttershy, I love animals, it was Twilight’s idea to come to the show because she thinks hypnosis is a big sham, I think girls with fiery hair are really-" Fluttershy claps her hands over her mouth. Her eyes wide with panic.

Sunset laughs. The rest of the crowd claps. "It feels so good to let it all out. In fact, I think you’re going to do just that. Empty that silly little head all over the crowd." Her warm, manicured finger pried Fluttershy’s hands from her face. The poor girl hadn’t stopped running her mouth.

"-I kissed a dog on the lips once, my favorite color is green, watching you work on my friends is really hot, I wish I was the maid and AJ was the princess, I have a thing for being humiliated, I don’t know what taxes are-"

Fluttershy was left to empty her mind all over whoever would listen. Mostly her friend with more pink hair and less interest in brushing it. The crowd’s watching eyes turned her face red. Poor thing’s arms were limp at her sides. "As for you, my little pony." Sunset takes Twilight’s chin. "You have to be punished for doubting me." Twilight’s big, dumb pony eyes gaze back. Sunset gingerly tugs on her little pony’s hair. "Let’s see if your friend here has any ideas."

"I once held up a cat’s hind legs and walked him around like a wheelbarrow. I want you to spank me. " Fluttershy finishes. Her dull green eyes stare straight ahead at the empty stage.

"Flutterbutt, dear, are you completely empty for me?"

"Of course, Princess Sunset."

"Good girl. Tell me, what should I do with your friend here?"

"I don’t know, Princess Sunset. I’m just a silly, empty girl for you. She does make an awfully cute pony." Her soft voice rolls out of her mouth.

"Well, dear, you’ve been so good, I think you get to play with her. Come along." Sunset takes Fluttershy by the wrist and her little pony by the reins to lead them both on stage. "Fluttershy, dear, when I snap my fingers, you are going to be a harsh stable mistress." Her limp fingers curl around a riding crop. "You are auctioning off this pony to the highest bidder, knowing full well that she’s a particularly naughty ponygirl."

"Of course, Princess. I’ll bring her in line."

"Congratulations, Twilight. You’ve graduated." Sunset grabs her by the ponytail and plops her up on her two hind hooves. "You walk upright, end your sentences by neighing and whinnying, and the only authority you respect is a whip or a crop. You’re a very naughty ponygirl."

Twilight whinnies derisively. "Whatever."

Snap!

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first annual Pretty Pony Paradise Auction. The first item up for bid-" Fluttershy brings the slouching pony to attention with a swat! on the rear. "-is Little Miss Twilight. Don’t let the name fool you. She’s the meanest girl I’ve ever trained. Luckily, I know what she likes." The crop slides up Twilight’s back. The purple pony nervously champs at her bit. "She likes it when I make a show out of her." A well-placed hand between the shoulder blades eased Twilight back onto all fours. A pair of purple eyes glared back the whole time. "You just have to show a little dominance, a touch of tough love-" swat! "-and know exactly where they like to be hit. Apologize to the people for being moody, you little Twilobite." She smiled.

"I-I’m sor-"

Snap!

Both girls go limp. The crowd goes wild again. The riding crop clatters to the ground.

"Thank you, thank you." Sunset bows. "Now, for my next volunteer-"

"Me! Mememe! Pick me!" An eager hand shot into the air. That obnoxious, unkempt head of pink hair was jumping on its chair. "Pleeease? I’ll be a really good hypnosis thing lady!"

"Stable Mistress Flutters, I think one of your mares got away." Sunset points at the Pinkie frantically waving at the stage. "Why don’t you bring her back and show everyone what the best horse trainer in town can do?" Sunset puts a bit and bridle in her little stable hand’s hand, complete with pony ears. A ball gag, too. Just in case.

Snap!

Fluttershy scoops up her riding crop and spurs her little pony to action with a quick swat. Sitting side saddle, of course. "Let’s go pay that uppity mare a visit, shall we?"

Twilight whinnies. Her rubbery hooves clip and clop down from the stage and into the aisle. Pinkie rushes to meet the pair halfway. "Oooh! What are you gonna do with those? Are they for me? They look so cool! What am I gonna do first? How does it feel to be hypnotized? Is Twilight comfy?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "Good ponies do not speak unless spoken to."

"Uh, Earth to Fluttershy? I’m not a pony. I’m a person."

The harsh crack of a riding crop connecting broke the air. A distinct red outline glowed on Pinkie’s cheek. Fluttershy dangled the bridle from her finger. "Good ponies put it on before I make you turn the other cheek." Pinkie rushed to bridle herself. The ball gag went in with a pop. Pinkie muffled excitedly around it. "That’ll have to do until I can make you shut up. Come along, dear~" She planted a kiss right on that tender cheek. She dragged her newest little pony by the reins and into the aisle. She yanked Pinkie onto all fours, sat on Twilight’s back, and kicked her feet up on Pinkie. "You two are going to carry me back on stage." The crop rested on Pinkie’s tight, firm butt. "Or else." Pinkie whimpered and trotted. Twilight snorted and complied.

"What a good sport. Give her a hand, folks!" Sunset welcomed her ponies and their talented stable mistress back on stage. Applause washed over the four. "You’ve all been such good girls and such talented performers. I think you’ve all earned some sleep!" Another Snap! Three more limp girls and one terrified.

"Can I talk now? That was super scary and kind of fun! Can they hear me when they’re all droopy like this? Can I play with them?"

"Play with them? Dear, you’re going to join them."

"Pfft, I’ve been watching your little thing with the watch. All I gotta do is close my eyes and not listen to you talk all sexy!" "This old thing?" Sunset makes a big show of tossing the ruby watch over her shoulder. Poor Pinkie watches it clatter to the ground, but she holds firm. Eyes closed. Fingers in her ears. She’s even holding her breath.

"All I have to do is remind you how good it feels to submit." Sunset caressed Pinkie’s chin. Her hot breath rolled across her face. "Being paraded around in front of all these people. Giving your mind over to a pretty girl." She laughed. "Sorry. The most gorgeous girl you’ve ever seen." Pinkie’s eyes creak open. "Unable to look away from her eyes. Falling deeper and deeper under your spell. You remember how much you loved being nothing more than a plaything for these nice people."

"Uh-huh." Poor thing couldn’t hold her breath forever.

"My helpless plaything. Not a thought in your head."

Pinkie’s fingers fell out of her ears.

"My toy to play with."

Her jaw went slack.

"Empty."

Drool.

"Little."

Shudder.

"Doll."

Moan.

Snap!

Collapse.

"Good girl."

Sunset’s hands guide her doll’s limp form to the ground. "Nice and stiff, dear. Porcelain dolls don’t move unless Miss Sunset moves them." She sits Pinkie down. Legs out straight. Arms to the sides. Good dolls like her wouldn’t even think of moving. Good dolls wouldn’t even think. "You just sit there with your bright eyes and your big empty smile and wait for Princess Sunset to play with you."

The crowd applauded, of course. Why wouldn’t you want to reward Princess Sunset for being so gorgeous and perfect? She’s made a princess and a maid, a pony and her rider, and one lonely doll. Sunset zeroes in on the one blonde girl with five empty seats next to her. "Great show, huh? I wonder who she’s gonna do next." Sunset kicks her feet up on the seat in front of her.

"Hey! Ain’t ya supposed to be up there, makin’ my friends look silly?"

"Am I?" Sunset closed a leather collar around the country girl’s neck. She stood up and gingerly tugged on the leash. "We should probably get up there, then! Come along, girl!"

Applejack stayed put. "No way. You ain’t getting me out of this chair."

"Sounds like you’ll have to get yourself out of the chair." Sunset sits back down. "I’ve never seen a puppy refuse a walk before."

"Ah’m not a puppy. Ah’m a-"

"You’re right. You’re a grown-up dog. Well-trained, happy to wear your collar, and you won’t piddle on my stage."

"I ain’t a grown-up dog, either!"

"Well, if you’re not a puppy and you’re not a grown-up dog, you must be a kitty cat." Sunset looks at the tag dangling from her fingers. "Snowball’s more of a cat name anyways."

"My name ain’t Snowball. It’s-" The silver tag caught her eye.

"Are you sure, dear?" Sunset’s gloved hand guided the farmgirl’s gaze to that round silver tag. Glinting in the light. "This is your tag, after all. It makes sense that it’d have your name on it."

"It is k-kinda nice."

"As it should be." Sunset’s fingers combed through that soft blonde hair. She scratched behind where her ears would be. "Feels good when I scratch you there."

"It does feel pretty good."

"Pretty kitties like being scratched there. And you like being scratched there, don’t you?"

"Y-yeah, a little. But I ain’t no cat!"

"A pretty tag for a pretty kitty." The tag swung back and forth. Applejack’s eyes followed.

"Ah pretty tag for a pretty kitty."

"Who’s a pretty kitty?"

"Ah’m a pretty kitty."

"What’s your name, pretty kitty?"

"Meow~"

"Good answer." Sunset stood up. Snowball rose to her feet. She purred when Sunset scratched her chin. Both of them brushed passed Princess Rainbow and her maid, both blissfully asleep. A quick whisper from Sunset had them following behind Snowball. The pretty kitty followed Sunset all the way up onto the stage. Purring and gingerly headbutting Sunset like a good cat. Sunset scooped her hat off Twilight’s head as she passed, plucking a pair of leopard print cat ears and a matching flexible tail from its depths.

Snowball happily batted Princess Sunset’s discarded watch about the stage while she got her pointy little ears and pretty kitty tail. She rolled and bounced and swatted the watch across the stage, purring all the while. It’d occasionally escape into the audience where Snowball would be rewarded with a few pets before purring her way back onto the stage. She had a way of sitting in front of a particularly friendly-looking human, looking up with her big green eyes, and waiting patiently for pets. "Meow~!" She’d say.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, we’ve had a good time tonight, haven’t we?" Cheers and applause rise from every corner of the room not currently hypnotized and wearing a costume. "But there’s just a little more show coming for you all." Sunset takes Twilight by the chin, relieves her of the long black cape, and helps her stand center stage. "Okay, Miss Twilight. I’m going to give your hair a tug, and you’ll wake up. Like turning on a light. You won’t remember anything past being brought up on stage. You certainly weren’t hypnotized, you definitely didn’t help me hypnotize your friends, and you wouldn’t dream of holding your skirt up on stage to show the world your panties without noticing. You’re dressed perfectly normally, with your pony ears, gloves, and boots. You never leave the house without your tail." Twilight obediently lifts the front of her dress, draping it across her forehooves. Cute pink panties with a little bow on the front.

Snap!

"So, Twilight. How are you doing tonight?"

"Fine, fine." She looks at Sunset. And to the crowd. Not at her skirt, though. That’s all normal. "Why am I up on stage?"

"Oh, I brought you up here. You and all your friends." Sunset gestures to the blonde kitty batting her way across the stage. The harsh stablemistress without her pony. The princess eagerly spanking her maid. The maid giggling and moaning with every smack. The stiff, empty-headed dolly spread out on the floor. "Well, I only brought up a few of them. The princess and your maid were your idea, Twilight the Great."

"That’s Twilight the Magnificent to you!" Twilight spits back- and promptly covers her mouth with her hooves. Wait, hooves? Why is the crowd laughing at her? Sh-she wore her hooves every day! A blush burned across her cheeks.

Sunset replaced the watch her kitty was so interested in with a ball of yarn. She tossed the watch to Twilight the Magnificent. "If you’re so magnificent, dear, go ahead and see if you can snap your friends out of it."

Twilight’s big hooves cupped to catch the watch. It took a few minutes of doing to press the chain awkwardly between her clumsy rubber gloves. "Okay, so, uh, you’re getting very slee-" She dangled it in front of Pinkie’s eyes- and it promptly slipped into the doll’s waiting lap.

"I-I don’t remember any of this! All this hypnosis stuff is garbage, I didn’t want to come here anyways." Twilight crosses her arms. "Are they all in on this? Are you just teasing me?"

"What are you saying, dear?" Sunset crossed her arms. Shooting glances at the crowd.

"I’m saying there’s no way I was hypnotized, and there’s no way I could have done anything with my hooves! I mean, who would believe in something as ridiculous as-"

"Lights out." Sunset tugged her ponytail and Twilight’s eyes went blissfully dim once more. Applause washed over her mindless form. "You were a very good girl, Twilight. You should feel good." A wave of simple bliss washed over her.

"I’m a good girl~" She sighed.

Sunset places the microphone want in Twilight’s hand and lifts it up to her mouth. She whispers in that cute little ear. Twilight’s eyes lit up. She plucked the top hat from Sunset’s head and settled it on her own. "Okay, everyone~!" She called with renewed energy. "Princess Sunset is going to take me and all my happily hypnotized friends backstage. I’m such a silly girl, I don’t even know what she’s going to do with us! But since I loooove being hypnotized more than anything else, I just can’t wait~! I bet that if you all clap really loud, Princess Sunset will have us give an encore!" She giggles. She gives her princess a big kiss on the cheek and helps her gather up her friends. A skilled kick sends Snowball’s yarn rolling backstage and a good kitty chasing after it. Pinkie Doll simply gets lifted up and dragged offstage. The spanking princess and her giggling, moaning maid have to be separated. Princess Rainbow wasn’t happy about it, but a few whispered words from her court entertainer made things all better. Her faithful maid was informed that it was simply filthy behind the scenes, and her help was needed urgently! Stablemistress Flutters put up quite the fight- until she was relieved of her riding crop, informed that playtime was over and that good ponies go back to the stable, and threatened with a few swats.

The curtains fell. The crowd cheered and chanted. "Encore! Encore!" Sunset was, of course, already in action. All six of her good girls got their own pair of Sunny bunny ears. Yellow, red, and orange ears poking up through their hair. Princess Rainbow got to keep her bubblegum pink locks and her maid her subservient black bouffant. Snowball kept her cat accessories and had no problem with one more set of ears.

"Okay, my Sunny bunnies!" Sunset claps. "The first thing you all have to know is that there’s no thinking allowed when you’re wearing your ears. Sure, you can try if you want, but they’re just so warm and comfy." Sunset stroked Fluttershy’s ears. She’s starting to slump. "It’s so easy just to turn your silly little bunny brain off for a little while and let Sunny do all the thinking." Sunset walks from girl to girl, her hand dancing down their fronts. "Especially when it makes Princess Sunset and the nice people in the audience so happy." Sunny’s bunnies started on their big, dreamy smiles. It did feel good to be her bunny. "So nice and warm. So empty and happy. So cute and eager." Rarity starts to slump. Sunny takes her by the chin and helps her stand up straight. "Good bunnies stand up straight, dear."

Sunset leads her girls to her costume racks. "My good bunnies, we’re going to play a game." She paces back and forth. "You’re my assistants. Every good magician needs a few beautiful assistants, doesn’t she?"

"Of course, Princess Sunset~" Her bunnies coo in unison.

"But only one of you can be my head bunny. Princess Sunset’s head bunny." She strokes one lucky assistant’s ears. The poor girl nearly melted right there. "Princess Sunny’s head bunny who gets special treatment. Unfortunately, bunnies are just a little ditzy, so they can’t quite remember who the head bunny is. Lucky for you, Princess Sunset has a solution. The head bunny is clearly the one who’s best at helping her princess. And that means the head bunny is the best one at hypnosis!"

Sunset passed from bunny to bunny, handing out outfits. "We’ll use these to keep score. Every time you get someone all cute and empty for me, you send them back here to get dressed just like you!" The princess and the maid were already dressed up, of course. Snowball got her leopard print paw gloves and a nice leotard. Perfect for the enterprising hypnotic bunnycat. She purred and pawed at the air, ready for action.

"And you, dear." Sunset kisses Fluttershy on the cheek. "Will be a majestic dragon, gathering thralls for your princess. I know dragons usually kidnap princesses, but you’re going to be a good girl and wait until later tonight." Fluttershy giggles emptily and goes off to dress in her green scales and get her big tail on.

"For the doll, it’s only natural that she learn to move on her own like a robot. Luckily, her princess is installing a chip for that right now." She presses her manicured fingernail against the back of that nice, stiff dolly neck. "Click!"

P1nk-13 whirs to life. She makes the fan noises and the occasional click and beep with her mouth until she can get her fans going. She stands straight up and perfectly stiff. "P1nk-13 online, Princess." She only barely reacts when her princess kisses her nose! Sunset pointed to the costume rack. Her little robot marched directly there and promptly got to work upgrading herself. She stepped out of her dress and into a sleek silvery new one. Buttons on the front and back. Tight, shiny latex gloves and boots. A short silver wig that tries its best to look good as part of the robot’s poofy pink hair.

Sunset finally stops in front of Twilight. Good, pretty Twilight. Still wearing her pony hooves. Still wearing her bunny ears. Still nice and hypnotized for her princess. "Such a good girl. Still don’t believe in hypnosis?"

"Of course not. I can’t be hypnotized. I don’t believe in nonsense like that." She rolled her eyes.

"Are you looking forward to helping your princess hypnotize everyone here, my hopelessly hypnotized bunny butt?"

"Of course, Princess. I can’t wait to dress up for you and let you do all the thinking for me. I love being hypnotized so much~!" Look at her. Drooling at the idea of letting her perfect princess take control. Just for a little bit.

"Tell me, dear, if this really is your fantasy, what’s the capstone? What does the Princess Sunset of your dreams do to push you over the edge?"

She really wants to look down at her feet and blush, but good girls like Twilight know she can’t look away from Sunset’s eyes. "I, well, want to, um."

"Out with it, dear." Sunset squeezes that cute little chin. "Your public awaits. A pretty bunny like yourself would hate to let the audience down."

"Harem dancer! Happy and hypnotized into showing my body off for my princess!" She hides her mouth behind her big, rubbery hooves.

"And a dancer you’ll be." Sunset snaps her fingers. Twilight’s eyes go dim. The magician catches her limp body. The hooves come off. The maid rushes them back in their proper place. She loved cleaning! Twilight’s body was draped with fiery silks. Layers of yellow, orange, and red replaced her silly normal clothes. Gold jewelry designed to capture the senses. One silk veil to cover her mouth. Layers of blazing silk just barely hide her breasts from view. A matching skirt fell to almost cover her panties. "When you get out there, you’ll be Princess Sunset’s private dancer, performing a rare public show. You’re my very best dancer. It’s a shame you’ve been overworked at the harem. If only you could make some assistants. Then you could really make your Princess happy!" Twilight nodded dreamily. A single Snap! opened her eyes and set her bouncing on her feet.

Twilight promptly set to exploring her princess’s body with her hands and lips. She looked up at her Princess with adoring eyes. Her soft silks pressed against what exposed skin she could find on her Princess. She was in the middle of teasing the white glove off Sunset’s hand when her Princess called to all her bunnies.

"Okay, girls!" Sunset clapped. "It’s time for Sunny’s Bunnies to show me who’s the best!"

"I thought you were the best, Princess Sunset." The maid bunny asks.

"Very good, dear." The maid gets a kiss on the forehead. The lucky thing looks like she’s going to faint just from the attention. "Show me who’s head bunny, and who has to listen to everything the head bunny says! As long as Princess Sunset agrees~"

Sunset steps out on stage and addresses the audience. "And now, it’s time for the audience participation part of our show. Don’t worry- the doors will be locked and it typically only lasts twenty minutes or so. My bunnies will file into the audience with further instructions."

File they did, and instructions they gave.

Princess Sunset filled the air with soothing patter. Reminders to focus on the gorgeous girl in front of them should they have one, and the flaming princess on the stage otherwise. Soothing words about how wonderful it felt to listen and turn your brain off, just for a little bit.

Princess Dashica and her eager maid wind up working together. The maid just has such a hard time saying no to her lady. Even after the spankings. Her feather duster helped brush nasty thoughts out of the audience’s mind. Even silly maids like Mimi knew you needed a clean mind to listen to Princess Dashica! The princess- the one in the poofy dress and the pink wig, not the one practicing her patter on stage- gives a grand speech about how good it is to submit. The first few rows in front of her turn to look and listen. Already nice and soft from Sunset’s speech, they’re all too happy to listen to Princess Dashica address her subjects.

Kittyjack and Pinkiebot are somewhat less successful. Not only do they tend to work on one subject at a time, a certain silly kitty is far too easily distracted to ply her hypnotic trade. Pinkiebot is only slightly more successful at assimilating some of her favorites.

Flutterdragon started strong. She lept proudly off the stage. The piercing golden eyes on her mask locked on to a particularly worthy member of the crowd. Golden blonde hair. Cute features. Fancy dress. She must be a princess, and dragons love to kidnap princesses. She snatches her prey by her clothes. The rubbery claws on her gloves dig into the fabric. The other claw guides the prey’s gaze towards those glittering golden eyes.

"Good girl." Dragonshy smiled. The prey tensed up, took one breath, and found herself lost in those eyes. "Good prey knows its place. Good prey doesn’t resist." A claw combs through locks of shimmering golden hair. Dragonshy turns tail and leads her limp, stumbling capture backstage. Look at her. Big, dumb smile. She’s happy.

Princess Dashica, meanwhile, is winning by far. Most of the audience has either fallen under her spell or is about to. She’s taken the microphone. When she paces the stage, the whole crowd follows her. Even Applecat and Pinkiebot had found a comfortable lap to sit on and enjoy the show from. Heads turn to follow the girl in the frilly dress, even as her wig comes loose to reveal a few rainbow strands underneath.

"And now, my loyal subjects, I’m going to count to five and snap my perfect, elegant fingers. When I do, you’ll all fall deep under my control, and you’ll announce that Lady Dashica is the only one here worthy of being Princess Sunset’s head bunny!"

Twilight, elegant silks still hanging off her body, takes a break from rubbing herself against the only girl that really matters. She plucks the top hat off her princess’s head, plants a kiss on her cheek, and twirls across the stage, stopping only to wrap Lady Dashica up in layers of warm, Sunny silk.

"Get your hands off me, you common harlot! Do you know who I am?"

"I do. You’re mine." Twilight takes Lady Dashica by the chin. She extracts Princess Sunset’s watch from inside the hat with a single flick of her wrist. Their eyes immediately snap to it. Lady Dashica can’t help but watch it sway back and forth.

"See the pretty watch, my lady?"

She nodded. A drop of drool bubbled to her lip. "I-I’m the head bunny!"

"Good girl." Twilight’s nimble fingers comb through the pink wig. She even straightens it for her! "You can be a good bunny for me. Can you hop?"

She tries.The big dress kinda gets in the way. "L-like that? Am I the head bunny now?"

"Good bunny! It takes more than that, though. A head bunny is never ever hypnotized."

The watch sways back and forth. Lady Dashica’s eyes can’t look away. Each tick sticks in her mind, crowding out those darn royal thoughts. "I’ll never ever be hypnotized, not in a billion bunny years!"

Twilight laughs. "What do you think, ladies and gentlemen?" She calls to the largely unconscious crowd. "I think it’ll be a little sooner than that. You see, Princess, I have a secret. About you."

"Impossible!" Dashica huffed, turning her nose in the air… and continuing to look at the watch. "The only thing a commoner like you knows is where to get the best tips!"

"Low blow, Princess." Twilight shook her head. "Just for that, I’m not gonna go easy on you."

Dashica snorted.

"I know you have a curse, my lady. A curse placed upon you by someone much more powerful than myself." The watch swings. They both stare. The princess had forgotten how to blink. "A curse that says you’ll fall madly in love with the first girl you kiss. It matters not if she’s a perfect queen or a simple commoner like myself. True love is blind, and even a princess would gladly eat out of a harem dancer’s silken hand for love."

"As if I would ever-!"

Twilight didn’t ask. She took her chin and pulled their lips tight. Lady Dashica’s eyes opened wide with shock and fluttered shut with bliss. Her arms uncrossed to pull her one true love nice and tight. The kiss broke after an eternity of hypnotic bliss.

"Now." Twilight poked the princess’s nose. "Tell the nice people that I am the head bunny, and you are just another silly, lovestruck bunny butt."

Dashica begrudgingly broke the hug and turned to the audience. Speaking with her very best royal voice, she said, "My loyal subjects. I am happy to report that I am nothing but Miss Twilight’s silly, lovestruck bunny butt, and that she is the rightful head bunny."

Twilight whispered something else in her ear.

"And, of course, I am a silly little girl who doesn’t know about anything other than making Miss Twilight happy. I’ve earned another kiss." Lady Dashica turns around and collects her kiss. When the two lock lips, Princess Sunset snaps her fingers and they go limp in each other’s arms.

"Weren’t they great, folks?" She addressed the crowd. The crowd, in their varying states of trance, looked at the stage. Let’s have a big hand for our Sunny bunnies! Girls, come take a bow."

Princess Dashica and her silk-wrapped lover hold hands and stand at their princess’s side. P1nk-13 whirs and clanks up to the stage. Applecat chases a ball of yarn close behind. Miss Rarity huffs when she sees her lady in the arms of a common harlot, but she soon falls in line. Flutterdragon is the hardest to coax out, but she and her new best friend come take a bow.

"Thank you for coming, everyone! Remember, you had a wonderful time, you weren’t hypnotized but the idea of me controlling you in front of an audience turns you on, buy some merchandise and tell your friends!"

"And you six." Sunset turns to her star volunteers. "You are going to wear your new favorite outfits for the rest of the day. When you must take them off, you’ll leave them in a closet and won’t notice them. Sometimes, when you’re alone or with your friends here, you’ll remember the wonderful time you had as my Sunny bunnies. And you’ll have a wonderful night of hypnotic fun together. You might even call your Princess Sunset."

She gave each of them a kiss on the cheek. Twilight got one on the lips and a copy of her princess’s hotel room key.

"Wake up!"

Snap!